Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-05-14
power which honest men had reason to

power which honest men had reason to
fear.
A change finally came. The govern
ment was turned ove to the Democ-
racy by $50 majority out of a vote of
fifteen millions, and the era of " reform"
which the Democracy had promised
should follow the success of that party
seemed inevitable. Party workers of
the Republican faith grew sick at heart.
They saw the Offices slipping from their
grasp. CuV Service was upon them.
" Incompetents" must 60. The r%ascals
must yacate. The high sounding SEN
fences in the reform platforms of the
Democracy, worn threadbare by the
dessuetude of twenty-five years, now
fell upon official ears with a deafening
force. The political millennium, when
truth and integrity and patriotism and
honesty and everything else that is
good, should be forthcoming, had
arrived. The obnoxious spoils svs-
tenn was to be wiped out, and there
was to be no rewards for political
services. Territorial Offices were to be
filled by residents. Carpetbagism must
cease. Favoritism wal no more. The
time had arrived when the government
was to be run on business principles.
The great mistakes of the Republicans
were to be turned to the advantage of
the Democracy. We were, in fact, to
have a government of the people, by
the people, for the people. Cleveland
said so, and there was Joy in the terri
tories. We were to have home goy-
errors, familiar with territorial wants.
Our supreme judges were to be chosen
from the ranks of u own attorneys
and they were to be just and upright
Judges. Our land off Gals must be resi-
dents, and of course our postmasters
also.
But alas! these millenial promises
have not been fulfilled. Civil service
is a dead letter, SO far as the Democracy
is concerned. The great reforms
which we all had a right to expect and
which the Democracy had promised for
o quarter of q century have failed to
materialize. The governor Of Dakota
was imported from New York; re-
ward for party services. The governor
of Montana was imported from Ken.
tucky-a reward for party services. The
governors of other territories were i'm
ported from states Of doubtful Demo.
cratic majorities OF states bordering
!, upon doubtful Democratic districts
all rewards for political services.
Territorial supreme judges were selected
with a view to political strength rather
, than for their judicial ability. Land
officials were gathered in many in
stances from regions whose people had
no knowledge of the land laws. And il
is also true that Minnesota has furnished
Dakota with some Of its postmasters
> The awful spoils system is still in vogue
Where it was dying a natural death
/; under the progressive principles of the
i, Republican party, it has been given new
life under Democratic rule.
Hence the determination of many
leading men in the territories to organ
. Ice for self protection against the politi
clans who maze great promises only Il
break them. Both parties have shame
fully abused the territories. The Re
y publican party sent their rascals here Il
get rid of them. The Democracy criet
r out against this practice, shouted TO
"reform," and when it came into powe
= followed in the footsteps of its prede
cessors. We had reason to expect some
thing better from the party that hat
nothing to do for twenty five years ex
i cept to observe the mistakes of the Re
publicans, but that "something better
came not. The territorial machinery wa
placed in the hands of inexperienced
t men sent here under the old spoils sys
tenn. The pledges made in the Demo
cratic platform-thst none but terri.
torial residents should be given ter
" %ritorlal offices-were violated. Their
L are eight territories inflicted with i'm
g ported officials. These territories can
d not vote for president, but they haye
y voice in the conventions. They ar
!" moving in the direction of a combina
ton, and it is hoped they may vote as
unit in these conventions.
Down the Line,
Special Correspondence of the INrER!OcEAN.